Foodstuff container and method of preparing foodstuffs therefore

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a retail pack and container therefore, for containing first and second types of foodstuff. The container is formed of initially separate parts and this allows differing preparation steps to be performed on the foodstuffs in the different parts of the container as required, prior to bringing the parts together to form the container.

The invention to which this application relates is a container which canbe used to contain, typically, at least two different foodstuffs to forma retail pack and allows the said retail pack to be displayed forpurchase and subsequent consumption of the foodstuffs held therein.

The provision of foodstuffs in containers as retail packs is well knownand is the standard procedure for selling many types of foodstuffs toconsumers. The packaging is used to protect the foodstuffs and thepackaging can be used to make the foodstuff appear more attractive andalso provide information relating to the foodstuff for the consumer.

One increasingly popular type of packaging is that which contains twofoodstuffs, typically as a dessert or snack and there is provided aplastics container formed with a first cavity in which a first type offoodstuff can be placed and a second cavity in which the secondfoodstuff can be placed. Typically, a seal such as a plastic or foillayer, is then applied over the openings into the cavities to seal thesame and form the retail pack. Once opened, the user can selectfoodstuffs from each of the cavities or, alternatively, may empty thecontents of one cavity into the other to combine the foodstuffs and theneat them.

Although these containers have been found to be successful, particularlyfor desserts in which, for example, one of the foodstuffs is a mousse,yogurt or the like, and the other foodstuff is a series of items, suchas for example, chocolate or decorative items, a drawback is that thetypes of foodstuffs which can be held within the container is limited tothose, which can be chilled or can withstand chilling, prior toconsumption. This therefore means that the lifespan of the retail packin terms of by when it must be consumed or destroyed, is relativelylimited. The reason for this limitation in the foodstuffs which can beused is that there is a tendency for migration of flavours betweenfoodstuffs and also other foodstuffs have to be processed and hence heldwithin the container under different conditions.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a container which allowsat least two different foodstuffs to be held therein, and subsequentlyconsumed singly or in combination. A further aim of the invention is toprovide a method which allows the container to be used to holdfoodstuffs which can be processed and prepared for consumption indiffering ways prior to the formation of the container and/or prior toconsumption.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pack comprisinga container having a first part with a first cavity with a foodstuffheld therein and at least a second part with a second cavity with afoodstuff held therein, wherein at least one of said foodstuffs isprepared separately to the other foodstuff, in its respective cavity,prior to the provision of both foodstuffs in the two part container.

Typically the said foodstuff is prepared separately prior to the partsin which the respective cavities are defined being joined together toform the container.

In one embodiment, the preparation which is performed, is the cooking orbaking of the foodstuff held in said cavity.

In one embodiment, the respective foodstuffs can be placed in respectivecavities, at differing locations and then the parts are collatedtogether to form a container in accordance with the invention.

In one embodiment, the first and second parts are joined together alongadjacent edges thereof which are brought into an abutting or overlappingrelationship.

In one embodiment, the engagement is achieved via overlapping portionsof the respective adjacent edges of the first and second parts.

In one embodiment, the overlapping edges are joined together. In oneembodiment a welding technique such as ultrasonic welding is used. In analternative embodiment a mechanical join is created.

In one embodiment, the container incorporates at least one sealing layerwhich is positioned over the openings into the cavities to enclose thefoodstuffs within the cavity and hence form the retail pack.

In one embodiment, the sealing layer is applied over the entire surfaceof the container in which the openings are formed. Alternatively, asealing layer may be applied over the opening into the cavity in thefirst part and a second layer applied over the opening into the secondpart, prior to the parts being joined together.

In one embodiment, the portions of the respective parts which are joinedtogether do not have a sealing layer applied thereto or alternatively,the same can have the sealing layer applied thereto and a seal can beformed through the same.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a foodstuffcontainer formed from a plurality of plastics material parts, each ofsaid parts having a cavity for the reception of a foodstuff therein andwhich foodstuff is sealed within the respective cavity by a sealinglayer.

In a preferred embodiment, a line of weakening is provided which runsparallel with the adjacent edges of the respective parts such that oncethe parts are joined together, the line of weakening forms a hinge orbreak point, to allow the contents of one of the cavities to be emptiedinto the other of the cavities so that the foodstuffs can be consumed incombination.

There is provided a container for at least two different foodstuffs andwherein said container is storable for a predefined period of time of atleast a number of weeks, in ambient conditions without adverse effect onthe foodstuffs.

This container in accordance with the invention has a significantadvantage over the prior art in that it allows a much wider range offoodstuff types to be provided within a 2-cavity container than iscurrently possible as, conventionally, foodstuffs which are held in thistype of 2-cavity container, have to be stored in chilled conditions andas a result have a relatively short life span the foodstuff is beforethe foodstuff is adversely affected.

Typically the container comprises a plurality of parts each having atleast one cavity for the reception of foodstuffs therein.

In one embodiment, the respective parts are filled with the respectivefoodstuffs and then the parts are joined together to form a container inaccordance with the invention.

In one embodiment, at least one of the cavities is provided with aventing film layer which allows the cooking or baking of the foodstuffheld within the cavity.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method offorming a pack including a container having at least first and secondfoodstuffs in respective cavities of said container, said containerformed from at least first and second parts, said method including thesteps of placing a first foodstuff in a cavity of a first part, and asecond foodstuff in a cavity of a second part, with the said first andsecond parts separate; preparing said foodstuffs, as required, into acondition for retail, wherein the respective parts are brought togetherand, joined to form the container.

In one embodiment at least one sealing layer is applied to enclose saidcavities, said sealing layers applied either prior to joining the partstogether to form the retail pack.

In one embodiment, the sealing layer is applied to each of therespective parts, prior to joining the same together.

In one embodiment, the respective parts are joined together by abuttingor overlapping respective edges and using ultrasonic welding along saidoverlapping portions.

In an alternative embodiment, a lid is provided or other engagementmeans, which serves to engage both first and second parts together.

In one embodiment, the first and second parts are formed of a plasticsmaterial such as polypropylene or a microwavable polystyrene. Ifrequired, the said container parts may be formed respectively ofdifferent materials.

In one embodiment, the preparation which is performed on one of thefoodstuffs, is a baking operation in which the foodstuff is wholly or atleast partially baked within the cavity of one of the parts of thecontainer prior to joining the parts together.

In one embodiment, when baking, the cavity in which the foodstuff isheld, is sealed with a venting film which has a series of apertureswhich open during the baking process to allow CO₂ created during thebaking process to be released from the cavity and expansion of thefoodstuff such as a sponge, to occur.

In one embodiment, when cooling the said foodstuff, the initial coolingstage is controlled so as to close the apertures in the venting filmprior to the second cooling stage which reduces the temperature morequickly. This therefore prevents the ingress of possible contaminantsduring the cooling stage which may occur if the apertures in the ventingfilm are still open following the baking process.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a retail packcontainer, said container having at least first and second cavities,said cavities having respective different foodstuffs held therein andwherein said foodstuffs are required to be processed into a conditionfor retail and/or consumption purposes and wherein differing processingmethods are performed on the respective foodstuffs before the containeris formed and/or after purchase of a container, and wherein thecontainer is provided as separate parts prior to retail display and saidparts can be selectively separated and/or moved for consumption of thefoodstuffs following purchase of the retail pack.

The present invention therefore provides a two foodstuff containerwhich, in addition to being separable into two parts after purchase, canalso be provided as separate parts prior to forming the containertherefore allowing differing preparation steps to be performed on theindividual foodstuffs as required.

A specific embodiment of the invention is now described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, wherein: —

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an elevation and plan view of the container inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically, a method in accordance with theinvention for forming the container.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a container 2 inaccordance with the invention, said container incorporating first andsecond parts 4, 6 and each of the parts having a cavity 8, 10respectively. The openings into the cavity are enclosed by layers ofsealing material 12, 14 respectively, which may be of foil or plasticand which are sealed to the lip 16 which surrounds the respectivecavities. The provision of the sealing layer therefore allows thefoodstuffs to be contained within the cavity and also reduces thepossibility of contamination of the foodstuffs and/or improving thelifespan of the same.

The container is shown in a retail condition and sealing layers 12, 14,will typically include information and/or advertising relating to thefoodstuffs within the container.

In this embodiment, the first and second parts 4, 6 are joined togetherto form the container at the interface 18. The interface is formed byoverlapping portions 20, 22 of the abutting edges of the respectiveparts 4 and 6. The overlapping portions are therefore brought togetherand in this case, ultrasonic welding is used along the overlappingportions to join the same. In addition, it is shown how the overlappingportions have respective lines of weakening 24 which individually, or incombination, allows the parts, once the retail container has beenpurchased, to be hinged about the line 24 or broken along line 24 so asto allow the contents of one of the parts, typically the cavity 10, tobe emptied into cavity 8 and thereby allow the foodstuffs to be consumedin combination. As an alternative to the arrangement shown, the line ofweakening 24 may be formed on one of the parts adjacent to theoverlapping portions.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a singlecontainer as a retail pack, which container comprises at least twofoodstuffs therein. However, the container is formed of two parts whichallow the respective foodstuffs to be prepared and processed separatelyand under differing conditions which is typically performed prior tojoining the parts together to form the retail pack.

The ability to process the foodstuffs held within the respective partsseparately, means that a greater range of foodstuffs can be provided inthis form of container than is conventionally the case and, furthermore,that the foodstuffs can be processed in a manner which means that they,and the container, does not have to be stored in a chilled environment.This in turn means that the lifespan of the retail pack, can besignificantly greater.

Furthermore, the ability to have separate sealing layers on separateparts of a container, allows a greater range of possibilities in termsof advertising, appearance and/or information and furthermore, thecontainer may be formed of parts which are of different colours ordifferent transparencies.

The provision of the line of weakening 24 also allows the parts to beseparated prior to consumption and, if required, the foodstuff in one ofthe parts can be heated or otherwise processed prior to consumption.

It should be appreciated that other alternative joining means can beused, such as for example, mechanical engagement may be providedparticularly if there is a need to separate the parts of the retailpack, for separate processing of the foodstuffs after purchase and priorto consumption.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of forming the container in accordance withthe invention.

At the top of FIG. 3, there is shown two foodstuff processing lines 26,28 which may be provided at the same geographical location or may beprovided at different geographical locations as required. It willtherefore be immediately appreciated that there is no longer therestriction of having to have all of the foodstuffs present for fillingthe container at the same location.

Referring firstly to processing line 26, the first stage 27 is for thepart 6 to be filled with the particular foodstuff. In this case, thefoodstuff may require to be pasteurised and any suitable preparationsteps can be performed. The foodstuff is sealed 29 within the cavity 10and the part 6 is then complete. The part can then be moved which may befrom a different factory, to location 30.

Turning now to processing line 28, the part 4 is filled with thefoodstuff required as indicated by step 32. In this case, a sponge is tobe formed in the cavity 8 and therefore a venting layer which is a layerof sheet material with apertures therein, is applied over the openinginto the cavity 8. With the venting layer in position, the part 4 andhence foodstuff is baked as indicated by step 34. During the baking, theapertures in the venting layer open to allow carbon dioxide formedwithin the cavity to leave the cavity and allow the sponge mixture torise and form the sponge. Typically, the product is then subject tocontrolled cooling in which a first cooling step provides a sufficientlyslow reduction in temperature to allow the apertures in the ventinglayer to close. This prevents the ingress of contaminants into thesponge. Once the apertures have been allowed to close, the secondcooling step may be performed which allows the more rapid cooling of theproduct. A sealing layer is then applied over cavity 8 at step 35 and,if required, the part 4 can then be transported to location 30. Atlocation 30, there is therefore provided the first and secondindependent parts 4, 6. These parts need to be joined together and inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention this is achieved bybringing abutting edges of respective parts 4 and 6 together in anoverlapping relationship as indicated by step 36. Ultrasonic welding isthen performed as indicated by step 38 to join the first and secondparts 4 and 6 together and hence form the container to be sent out as aretail pack as indicated by step 40.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a retail packwhich can be used to contain a variety of foodstuffs whichconventionally, would not be provided together such as for examplesponge, jam, fruit, rice, custard and the like and furthermore to allowthe same to be provided within the same container and stored at ambientconditions and have a stable, relatively long, shelf life. This isachieved by providing the container formed of at least two parts whichcan subsequently be formed together once the initial foodstuffs havebeen prepared and indeed, if required, can be subsequently separated toallow further processing of the foodstuffs once purchased, and prior toconsumption.

1. A pack comprising a container having a first part with a first cavitywith a foodstuff held therein and at least a second part with a secondcavity with a foodstuff held therein, wherein at least one of saidfoodstuffs is prepared separately to the other foodstuff, in itsrespective cavity, prior to the provision of both foodstuffs in the twopart container to form the said pack.
 2. (canceled)
 3. A pack accordingto claim 1 wherein the preparation which is performed, is the cooking orbaking of the foodstuff held in said cavity.
 4. (canceled)
 5. A packaccording to claim 1 wherein the first and second parts are joinedtogether along adjacent edges thereof which are brought into an abuttingor overlapping relationship, and engaged together.
 6. (canceled) 7.(canceled)
 8. A pack according to claim 1 wherein the container includesat least one sealing layer which is positioned over the openings intothe cavities to enclose the foodstuffs within the cavity and hence formthe pack.
 9. (canceled)
 10. A pack according to claim 8 wherein asealing layer is applied over the opening into the cavity in the firstpart and a second sealing layer is applied over the opening into thecavity in the second part, prior to the parts being joined together. 11.(canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. A container according to claim 1 wherein aline of weakening is provided which runs parallel with the adjacentedges of the respective parts such that once the parts are joinedtogether, the line of weakening forms a hinge or break point, to allowthe contents of one of the cavities to be emptied into the other of thecavities so that the foodstuffs can be consumed in combination.
 14. Acontainer according to claim 1 wherein said container is storable for apredefined period of time at least a number of weeks, in ambientconditions without adverse effect on the foodstuffs.
 15. (canceled) 16.A container according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the cavities isprovided with a venting film layer which allows the cooking or baking ofthe foodstuff held within the cavity.
 17. A retail pack container, saidcontainer having at least first and second cavities, said cavitieshaving respective different foodstuffs held therein and wherein saidfoodstuffs are required to be processed into a condition for retaildisplay and/or consumption and wherein differing processing methods arerequired to be performed on the respective foodstuffs before thecontainer is formed and/or after purchase of a container, and whereinthe container is provided as separate parts prior to retail display andsaid parts can be selectively separated and/or moved following purchaseof the retail pack.
 18. A method of forming a pack including a containerhaving at least first and second foodstuffs in respective cavities ofsaid container, said container formed from at least first and secondparts, said method including the steps of placing a first foodstuff in acavity of a first part, and a second foodstuff in a cavity of a secondpart, with the said first and second parts separate; preparing saidfoodstuffs, as required, into a condition for retail, display and/orconsumption wherein the respective parts are then brought together and,joined to form the container.
 19. A method according to claim 18 whereinat least one sealing layer is applied to cover over said cavities. 20.(canceled)
 21. A method according to claim 18 wherein the respectiveparts are joined together by abutting or overlapping respective edgesand using ultrasonic welding along said overlapping portions.
 22. Amethod according to claim 18 wherein a lid or other engagement means areprovided to engage the first and second parts together.
 23. A methodaccording to claim 18 wherein the preparation which is performed on atleast one of the foodstuffs, is a baking operation in which thefoodstuff is wholly or at least partially baked within the cavity of oneof the parts of the container prior to joining the parts together.
 24. Amethod according to claim 23 wherein, when baking, the cavity in whichthe foodstuff is held, is sealed with a venting film which has a seriesof apertures which open during the baking process to allow CO₂ createdduring the baking process to be released from the cavity and expansionof the foodstuff to occur.
 25. A method according to claim 24 whereinduring cooling of the baked foodstuff, the initial cooling stage iscontrolled so as to close the apertures in the venting film prior to thesecond cooling stage which reduces the temperature more quickly.